Community Service
In Bloom
HCMGA is expanding along with Hays County, and we’re always looking for new ways to serve our growing communities.
Today we have a wide variety of projects that teach children and adults about Texas native plants and pollinators. We support multiple women’s, children’s and adult daycare centers by designing and caring for their gardens and teaching their clients about local plants, vegetables and flowers.
We’re pioneering water-wise ways to grow vegetables for local food pantries, and our speakers present all over the county on horticulture-related topics from landscape design and rainwater harvesting to xeriscape gardening and attracting pollinators to your garden.
SPEAKER'S NETWORK
Need a speaker for your upcoming event? Our experts are available to provide training and education to civic groups, neighborhood associations, garden clubs on all kinds of best horticulture practices.
Available presentations include topics covering Earth-Kind® principles and practices, soils and composting, diseases and insects, vegetables, and water conservation practices.
First, check out our Topic List and presentation summaries to see what works best for your group. Then fill out the Speaker Request Form.
Our Speaker's Network project leader will help you locate and schedule a speaker on a topic of interest to your organization.
*Please plan ahead and allow at least four weeks for scheduling your presentation.
OUR GARDENS
The Hays County Master Gardeners follow Earth-Kind® principles in our impressive group of innovative research and demonstration gardens. Ideally, these gardens, along with our greenhouse, serve as outdoor classrooms where residents and visitors can learn about the viability of Texas native plants, sustainable horticultural practices, and environmental stewardship.
The gardens range from the rugged terrain of Jacob’s Well Natural Area in Wimberley to the manicured beauty of the Kyle Library Garden and the intimate simplicity of the beds we design and maintain for several local non-profits.
Information Booths
The Hays County Master Gardeners disseminate sound, research-based horticultural information to the public via Information Booths at various locations and public events throughout the year. Typically, we can be found at the Buda, Dripping Springs and San Marcos Farmers' Markets and at the libraries in Wimberley, Dripping Springs, Kyle and Buda.
Each Information Booth is staffed with knowledgeable Master Gardeners to answer your garden-related questions. We also provide information handouts on subjects ranging from garden-friendly pests to attracting pollinators.
If your organization is planning a special event and you'd like to schedule Master Gardeners to share gardening information with your guests and/or customers in a friendly, one-on-one way, please feel free to contact us.
We are also happy to provide plant-related activities and materials for children.
Since we are asked to participate in a number of scheduled events throughout the year, please plan ahead. Allow a few days for a response to your request.
Youth and Community Education
Kids love a chance to play in the dirt and are delighted by flowers and bugs. They’re naturally curious about how nature works and get genuinely excited seeing things grow. We like helping to plant
the seed of curiosity in the next generation of gardeners.
Our Youth Education Team can help teachers, scout and club leaders, daycare centers and other groups nurture budding gardeners in several ways.
We offer presentations geared towards elementary and middle-school students looking at butterflies, beneficial bugs, container veggie gardening and the like.
We can also help you get started designing and planting your own on-site gardens to help kids understand how their food gets to the table and the all-important links between pollinators and garden
health.
Contact secretary@hayscountymastergardeners.org to talk about how we can best help your group.
Miller Science Night
Since 2018, Hays Master Gardeners have participated in Science Night at Miller Middle School in San Marcos. Each year, several hundred people attend this event, and we get a chance to share our knowledge with kids and adults alike.
Working with one of the extension agents, Master Gardeners choose an appropriate gardening topic, make an informative trifold, and plan a fun activity. The night of the fair, we provide mini-lessons on the topic, answer questions, and organize an activity. Topics have included “To Bee or not to Bee” about the importance of pollinators in the garden, “Soil Layers” and the role soil plays in gardening, and “Veggies to Grow in Central Texas” and the use of fresh veggies in healthy smoothies. At different times, the students have taken home everything from seed balls, a treat representing soil layers, to a healthy smoothie they made by riding a bike to turn the blender. Learning can be fun!
It’s Not All About the Kids.
Looking on Buda’s Brightside.
Buda’s Brightside is a non-profit day-hab aimed at empowering adults with disabilities through expanded social experiences, community inclusion, educational development, and social enrichment. Brightside clients run a coffee shop to teach customer service skills and participate in small group classes in art, music, yoga, health, cooking, and gardening. When director Christina Trevino wanted to plant an herb garden, she turned to HCMGA. Trevino’s goal is to eventually have her clients sell the herbs to local restaurants as part of the business skills curriculum. The Master Gardeners were able to make this one of their Community Outreach projects to help Buda’s Brightside get started. Our team gathered the necessary supplies and worked with Brightside clients to put in fresh soil and new herb plants in the raised beds. The team visits the garden on Tuesdays and Thursdays to teach lessons on how to water the plants, harvest the herbs, etc.
It is a wonderful experience for everyone involved!